Around the Junior School

Year 5 Incursion

This term Year 5 is engaging in the Picasso Cows program, a complimentary educational initiative aimed at informing primary school students about the Australian dairy industry and the health and nutritional advantages of incorporating dairy products into a balanced diet. As part of this program, we organised an incursion with the Second Mouse Cheese Company, which specialises in the artisanal production of cheeses.

The company provided a hands-on demonstration of ricotta cheese production, showcasing their commitment to crafting 100 percent handmade, hand-packed cheeses using premium milk sourced exclusively from local, family-owned dairies. The Year 5 students thoroughly enjoyed the incursion, which took place in our newly Innovation Station, gaining valuable insights into both the dairy production process and the benefits of dairy in their diet.

Ms Gemma Seedsman, Academic Staff

More Mixtures = More Mess = More Science Fun!

On Monday 2 September, Year 2 had an exciting adventure in science as we made slime to find out if it’s a reversible or irreversible change. This experiment complimented our Term 3 learning about the properties of materials in science.

We started by mixing glue with a special eye drop solution. The goal was to see if we could make the slime just right. However, our result was not planned. Some of our slime batches turned out too runny, while others were a bit too sticky. It was a bit of a mess, but that’s all part of the fun of science!

Through this experiment, we learned something important: once we make slime, it’s hard to turn it back into the original ingredients. This shows us that making slime is an irreversible change—it’s not easily undone.

Even though the experiment did not go to complete plan, these experiences are valuable. They teach us that science is about exploring, making mistakes, adapting and learning to improve the final product.

So, despite the mess, today’s slime adventure was another great learning experience.

By 2 Yindyamarra and 2 Lorax

Year 5 Rural Bush Fire Excursion

Last Thursday, the Year 5 classes went to visit the Orange Bush Fire Service to gain further insight into the Geography unit that students are learning about.

All the students had the opportunity to learn about the critical work that goes on behind the scenes in managing bushfires. The visit provided a fascinating insight into how fires are controlled and the various strategies used to protect both people and property.

Students were introduced to the newest firefighting technologies, including advanced equipment and tools that assist firefighters in managing and predicting fire behaviour. They also were able to see the operating rooms – where all the important ‘behind the scenes’ happens.

One key takeaway was understanding how fires behave differently depending on the topography. The students discovered how the landscape – whether it’s flat, hilly, or mountainous – can influence the intensity and speed of a bushfire. A burn table demonstration allowed students to watch this in action!

The Rural Fire Service is a critical operation. All students were in awe of the quantity of volunteers and workers in our region. It was an eye-opening experience, offering a real-world perspective on the bravery and expertise required to manage bushfires in Australia.

Belle Hazelton, Academic Staff

Year 1 History Incursion

The History of our School. A walk down memory lane with Mrs Janet Appleby.

On Monday 26 August, Year One students were lucky to spend a moment in time, captivated by the wonderful stories Mrs Janet Appleby has of our beautiful school.

Mrs Appleby has a rich history and firsthand knowledge of the timeline of events for Kinross Wolaroi School as an ex- student, previous staff member and current valued alumni member.

Year One were indeed fortunate to have shared a moment with Mrs Appleby. Students collaborated with teachers to put some questions together for Mrs Appleby to answer centered around buildings, learning and games from her time at school as a student.

Mrs Appleby fondly recalled many interesting facts about the school such as:

The government milk program. Milk was delivered to the school for all students. They arrived in small glass bottles. Students loved this delivery and grew strong and healthy, ready for learning and playing with friends at school.
The cook at PLC was the best. Sunday lunches were a specialty with roast lamb one of the favourites on the menu.
The grounds around Wolaroi and PLC were used for supplying the schools’ kitchens with fresh produce. Students grew fruit and vegetables and enjoyed working to maintain these alongside learning in the classroom.
Rounders was a favourite game played with friends. This was like softball today.

Mrs Appleby was asked to recall her most fond memory of school, responding with a thoughtful and encouraging message for the students about the connections with friends. Mrs Appleby spoke about some of her closest friends today being people that she met whilst she was at school.

She urged the students to be kind to one another and foster good friendships at school as connections with people can last a lifetime.

Mrs Essex and Miss Moloney were grateful for the knowledge and time that Mrs Appleby was able to share with the Year One students. It was a wonderful walk down memory lane.

Mrs Rebecca Essex, Academic Staff

Father's and Significant Other's Day

On Friday 30 August, the Junior School invited their fathers and significant others to join them for a BBQ breakfast and classroom visits. It was a wonderful morning celebrating and showing our appreciation to the special men in our Junior School student's lives.

Year 1 Scientists

Year 1 has been completing some very interesting learning this term about the changes in the Sky and the Earth. We have borrowed a ‘museum in a box’ from the Orange museum to learn more about how Indigenous Australians use the changes in the stars to understand the weather systems. We have also been looking at the way the stars can create different patterns and constellations. We have been able to find our own star constellations.

We are looking forward to looking into how we can further help the Earth by making good choices in our environment.

Mia Moloney, Academic Staff

Merit Awards - Term 3 Week 6 2024

K Nemo

Charlie Pegum: Accurate recall of the number facts when problem solving.
Hayden Castledine: For correct punctuation and improved spelling when sentence writing

1 Minton

Ted Weekes: His ability to make connections between his sounds and words and working so hard to remember all of the spelling rules
Clementine Adams: Working so hard on her letter and number formation and making a conscious effort to read over her work to ensure letters are written correctly

1Eco

Georgia Flynn: Fabulous work in Guided Reading Groups
Anastasia Rogers: Subtraction number sentences and story problems

2 Lorax

Tilly Byrnes: For embracing feedback with a positive attitude and demonstrating excellent growth in her writing skills
Harry Chang: For showing courage and resilience in adapting to a new school and making valuable contributions to our positive classroom environment

2 Yindyamarra

Lachlan Bell: His continued concentration and proactive spirit when completing learning tasks
Havana Debattista Fadel: Her curiosity and passion for discovering the wonders of maths

3 Uno

Ivy Coleman: Her attention to detail when developing a storyline in narrative writing.
Sofia Buckley: Consistently sharing her ideas and giving valuable contributions to class discussions.

4 Kiernan

Alexander Flynn: Effectively applying feedback to improve the quaality and creativity of his diary entry
Liam Hayward: Being a consistently kind, respectful and inclusive friend, and for always uplifting others with his positive attitude

4 Goodall

Lilly Kilby: For trusting her creative ideas and demostrating commitment and perseverance in diary writing this week
Alec Stewart: Showing dedication and effort in identifying and classifying angles, as well as producing excellent examples of angles in math this week

5 Bear Grylls

Julian Capanas: always showing compassion and kindness to his peers. Julian always lends a helping hand and is a reliable member of 5 Grylls.
Sofia Roweth: Taking courageous risks in her learning which has resulted in a greater understanding of Mathematical concepts and more confidence when sharing her ideas to the class. Keep it up!

5 Seed

Willa Dunlop: Her diligent effort and positive attitude towards learning and her thoughtful contributions, and the care she takes in completing her work
Max Golding: His Proactive approach to learning and his perseverance in mastering mathematical concepts are truly praiseworthy, contributing to his growing confidence and success in the subject

6 Rober

James Hink: For his insightful and interesting contributions to class discussion. Also, for his capacity for independent though, and always willing to passionately support his ideas
Angus Triggs: For the wonderful support and encouragement Angus gives in class to his collegues. Always offering encouragement and help when needed

6 Dalziel

Nixie Widauer: Using modelled examples as a springboard for her own fabricated news article and responding positively to constructive feedback about her work.
Jess McGreal: Her dedication and application in composing a fabricated news article and always showing kindness towards others. Keep up the great work.

Merit Awards - Term 3 Week 7 2024